This invention relates to a connector having an electronic element built therein.
For example, a connector of the type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2000-252020. In the connector, a contact to be fitted to a mating connector is electrically connected to a cable through a substrate. The contact is inserted into a through hole of the substrate and connected to the through hole by soldering. By mounting electronic elements to the substrate, various functions are added to the connector.
Another connector of the type is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H6-151011. In the connector, a hybrid board with semiconductor components mounted thereto is built in a casing. A contact to be fitted to a mating connector is fixed to the hybrid board by soldering. In this connector also, various functions are added to the connector by the semiconductor components.
In either case, however, the substrate or the hybrid board built in the connector is connected to the contact by soldering. It is therefore difficult to control impedance characteristics and signal degradation may occur due to impedance mismatching. In particular, in case where the contact is connected to the through hole of the substrate by soldering, impedance degradation is remarkable.
The impedance characteristics depend upon the shape of a soldering portion and the amount of a solder and are unstable. Further, a soldering step is required in a production process so that the connector is increased in cost.